


Christmas Fluff

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Da Vinci's Demons
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Food Porn, M/M, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Zoario
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 06:50:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13141329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: Shameless Christmas themed fluff, modern au, established Riario/Zoroaster! A gift for Tinamour.





	Christmas Fluff

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tinamour](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tinamour/gifts).



"If Mary was a virgin, I think it suspicious three single men showed up to see the baby, each with an expensive gift," Zo said, hanging a last shiny bauble on the tree.

Riario, who was stuffing the excess tinsel back into a box, sighed. "You take such pleasure in blasphemy," he said but with no malice.

Zo flashed him a smile. This would be their first Christmas as a couple and he was looking forward to it. The whole gang was having a Christmas meal together, but this year Zo would sit next to Riario and take his hand between courses.

There was going to be a starter course, which was more like nibbles before the main event; Giuliano had chosen a platter which had Parma ham, olives, artichoke hearts, marinated tomatoes, various nuts, garlic bread, and more. He was also in charge of the wine, and Zo suspected he'd just taken an entire crate from his brother's supply.

The main course would be a traditional meal. Riario had ordered the meat – turkey, gammon, pigs in blankets – and the stuffing, Nico the potatoes and vegetables, Leo his own nut roast so he couldn't complain about it, while Andrea and Vanessa were going to oversee the cooking including Andrea's delicious gravy.

This was to be followed by a trifle, a short break to recover with more drinks and board games, with desserts later, followed by cheese and more nibbles- and more drinks and party games.

Lucrezia had begged herself an invite, saying she was having Christmas Eve supper and Midnight Mass with Riario's estranged father (the best thing about dating Zo, Riario said, was that his father had turned his back on him) and she needed something less stressful and more fun after that. She'd given them three kinds of desserts as a peace offering and while a traditional Christmas pudding might not have won anyone over, a rich cheesecake, a tower of profiteroles smothered in Belgian chocolate, and gingerbread biscuits did.

Zo was in charge of the trifle and the crackers. He'd purchased one large luxury box of crackers, and one risqué themed box with dirty jokes and prizes like naughty dice, nipple tassels, and small bottles of massage oil.

"Looks good," Zo said, stepping back to admire the tree.

"Yes, it does." Riario stared at Zo a long moment before he moved to slip one arm around Zo's waist and lean his head on Zo's shoulder.

Zo pressed a kiss to Riario's hair. "Do you want to watch me make trifle?"

"Have you ever made trifle before?"

"No."

Riario smirked. "Then yes, I want to watch."

Zo gave him a playful shove.

There was a quiet domesticity that Zo found soothing as Riario made them hot chocolate to enjoy while Zo prepared the dessert. It was a little alarming how easily Riario had slotted into his life, how quickly Zo had come to adore him, and if it wasn't the wild ride a romantic relationship with Leo would have been then maybe, Zo was discovering, that was for the best.

Zo made up the custard and left it to cool, then the jelly.

"Brandy or sherry?" Riario asked as Zo laid the sponge fingers in the bottom of the bowl.

"I haven't got any sherry," Zo said, picking up the brandy bottle. When he'd doused the sponge, he winked at Riario and added a dash to his own hot chocolate. "Want some?"

Riario wordlessly held out his mug and Zo tipped in a small amount.

Next came the fruit; Zo had chosen strawberries and raspberries. He chopped and layered them over the sponge. The jelly, now starting to set, was next.

"Leo dated an American once," Zo said. "She was well confused about the jelly."

"They call it jello," Riario offered.

"Yes. Jelly is jam. Jam is…I don't know, actually. Never got as far as asking her about marmalade because they broke up." Zo put the bowl in the fridge. "Can't do more until that's set."

Adding the custard would be next, then whipped cream, and finally some sprinkles. Sliced strawberries would be elegant but Zo liked the childlike aspect of a trifle. He'd got multicoloured hundreds and thousands and some white chocolate stars to decorate the cream with. It was just lucky he hadn't got any indoor sparklers left or they'd go in too.

He moved to wrap his arms around Riario. "I'm glad you're here."

"In the kitchen?" Riario lifted his arms to hug Zo.

Zo scoffed. "You know what I mean. With me. I know it's been a lot of changes and it hasn't always been easy."

"For either of us."

"Worth it, though?" Zo hadn't intended the question but it came out as one.

"Without a doubt," Riario said. He pressed a kiss to Zo's forehead, then cheek, then finally his lips.

Riario reheated the chocolate and they had a second mug each.

"Can we have the New Year party here?" Zo asked, taking Riario's hand. He'd been trying to broach the subject for a while.

He didn't know if Riario would want more time in the company of their friends, let alone have the whole gang in their home – and it was still a novelty that it was their home now. Christmas Eve was for them alone but Christmas Day was the big celebration, and Giuliano had persuaded them all to join him at Lorenzo and Clarice's Boxing Day chill out on the 26th.

(Since the chill out was at a spa, there would be saunas and swimming and massages, but Giuliano had assured them there would still be champagne and plenty of food, and the grounds were pleasant to walk in, plus there were tennis courts and a gym if anyone felt particularly active.)

So he was surprised but gratified when Riario said, "Of course. I presume it will require more shopping for drinks and snacks."

"And some indoor sparklers, and some party poppers!"

Riario chuckled softly. "And some paper plates, and some rubbish bags."

"You're so practical," Zo said. He was used to being the grounding influence against Leo's flights of fancy. He liked that he didn't always have to be the responsible one, even if he was determined to have Riario loosen up more. There was already progress on that front.

"You like that about me." Riario lifted Zo's hand to kiss his knuckles.

"I like many things about you."

Riario gazed up shyly beneath his lashes. "I'm looking forward to our New Year kiss."

Zo realised what the party and that kiss would mean. A public display of affection and a way to mark the occasion with hope of more in the coming year. He grinned.

"Perhaps," he said. "We ought to rehearse something that important."

So they practised, for quite some time.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr promo [here](https://meridianrosewrites.tumblr.com/post/168922440482/meridianrose-christmas-fluff-1135-words-by) with banner by Tinamour :)


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